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Abstract
Fresh vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet, but microbial contamination of fruits and vegetables is a serious concern to human health, not only for the presence of foodborne pathogens but because they can be a vehicle for the transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This work aimed to investigate the importance of fresh produce in the transmission of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae. A total of 174 samples of vegetables (117) and farm environment (57) were analysed to determine enterobacterial contamination and presence of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Enterobacterial counts above the detection limit were found in 82.9% vegetable samples and 36.8% environmental samples. The average count was 4.2 log cfu/g or mL, with a maximum value of 6.2 log cfu/g in a parsley sample. Leafy vegetables showed statistically significant higher mean counts than other vegetables. A total of 15 ESBL-producing isolates were obtained from vegetables (14) and water (1) samples and were identified as Serratia fonticola (11) and Rahnella aquatilis (4). Five isolates of S. fonticola were considered multi-drug resistant. Even though their implication in human infections is rare, they can become an environmental reservoir of antibiotic-resistance genes that can be further disseminated along the food chain.
Highlights
Consumption of fresh produce has risen worldwide as consumers grow interested in their nutritional values and their association with a healthy diet; the World Health Organization advises a daily intake of at least 400 g of fruit and vegetables
Besides contributing to the spread of foodborne pathogens, an additional health concern is that vegetables represent a vehicle for the transfer of antibiotic-resistant bacteria or antimicrobial resistance genes to humans, which may occur through the consumption of contaminated fresh produce [4,5]
Enterobacteriaceae and E. coli counts are used as indicators of faecal contamination and lack of hygiene during food production, but there is a growing concern as many strains are becoming resistant to antibiotics used to treat human infections, such as carbapenems or colistin [20]
Summary
Consumption of fresh produce has risen worldwide as consumers grow interested in their nutritional values and their association with a healthy diet; the World Health Organization advises a daily intake of at least 400 g of fruit and vegetables. Microbial load of fruits and vegetables is a serious concern to human health, since a large portion of foods of plant origin are consumed raw, with a growing number of foodborne outbreaks linked to fresh produce [1,2,3]. The European Food Safety Authority assessed the importance of several food-producing environments in the EU, including plant-based food production, in the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance [6]. This Scientific Opinion points to faecal microbial contamination of fertilisers, water and the production environment as specific interventions to minimise bacteria, such as carbapenem-resistant or extended-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. The report recognises the multiple data gaps as evidencing the importance of transmission routes leading to contamination with antibiotic-resistant bacteria at primary production and post-harvest stages of food-producing systems [6]
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